Mysticism

[close] Conversation this November 24, 5-8 p.m., on why we write and why we read, facilitated by author Sharman Apt Russell. Writing is discovery of the self, a kind of archaeology, going into the unconscious, bringing up feelings and ideas into the light—the nature of insight. In sight. Writing is motion, action, throwing words on the page and being part of how they interact and resonate and attract and repel. Thinking really does come out of language. And writing is about being actively engaged in language. Writing is play. Writing is theater. We get to be everything in the stories we write--a different sex, a different age, a different culture, a different species. We are a king and a fox and a leaf in the wind. We are the wind. And I believe this reflects a basic truth. I believe we are, in fact, part of everything. Science tells us that. The mystics tell us that. Writing is a kind of experiential mysticism in which we try to mimic the unity of the universe. In which every sound, every syllable, every word, every idea, every image is part of a larger whole. Reading is a dialogue with someone engaged in this process. Like a good conversation with a friend, we are fully participatory. There is a back and forth. We bring our own ideas. We are part of the theater—we are also everything in the story. A king, a fox, a leaf. The wind. We experience the unity. These are my thoughts. I’d like to know yours.

[close] Among the most easily recognized mystic communications are riddles, parables, fables, woven in symbols, dreams, allegory, apocrypha, & metaphors. Mystics often speak of being in a trance. They are communicating something other-worldly. Philosophers, in an attempt to make the deeper meaning more esoteric, obscured the meaning of their writes. Scientists use symbols & codes. One must come to understand metaphors, symbols & codes so they can understand. So, why have these writers throughout history used such obscure methods to say something that should be easy to say? Ø Being persecuted. Ø To speak about the ethereal world or to acknowledge communication with entities outside of our world would usually lead to being labeled insane. Ø Mysticism is meant for those who seek truth. ​​ Why write mystically? Or, how does the mysticism find the author? Many writers throughout history have found themselves helpless to the labels of insanity bestowed upon them. I often wonder if the likes of Virginia Wolff, Edgar Allen Poe, or Emily Dickinson would be considered mentally incompetent by today's standards. Language limits us from being able to fully express what we experience & what we intuit. We are forced by these limitations to use words creatively to give our reader insights that are otherwise lost in common usage. Writers are painting pictures, providing backdrops with sound, taste, texture & feeling – but the mystic writer is taking you behind the veil to a place where the senses have no power & hard reality does not exist, & mystic writers are translating from a language unknown to man, a language spoken to them by entities that exist in another time & space that is not in sync with our mortal occupation in the here & now. Mystic writers themselves are as perplexed about their relationship with or connection to the ethereal & the surreal as you are.

[close] Group for the mystical Men Out of Crystal discord and podcast.

[close] A club for the spiritually ambitious, somatically curious, and slightly done with the fluff — especially the kind that gaslights your nervous system. ⸻ 📖 About This Group: Welcome to the anti-fluff sanctuary for readers who crave depth, embodiment, and truth that actually lands in the body. We’re here to explore books that challenge, clarify, and change us — the kind that make you pause mid-page and whisper, “Holy sht.”* Expect reads on: • Pain science that respects complexity, not just symptoms • Yoga and yoga therapy as tools for nervous system regulation and spiritual alignment • Movement-based therapeutic practices that illuminate the body’s role in transformation • Sacred texts, memoirs, and soul-stretching works from psychology to mysticism We are: • Intellects who trust the body • Mystics who ask questions • Readers who highlight like monks and reflect like rebels ⸻ 🔍 What to Expect: • Monthly books that activate your body, your brain, and your belief system • Optional reflection prompts, somatic insights, and yes — occasional spirals of existential awe • A community where spiritual discipline meets literary disruption • No bypassing. No 10-step gloss. Just breath, presence, and bold pages ⸻ You don’t need to be healed. You don’t need to be flexible. You just need to be done with the fluff — and open to growth that doesn’t insult your intelligence.